“I’ve kept you up,”I whispered.
“I stayed out of free will; you didn’t make me do anything. However, itislate. You’ll be missed before too long.”
“Thank you for the dance,”I said. “Please don’t… Please don’t tell the Prince he’s injured me. Even in the morning out of courtesy.”
He nodded. “Your secrets are safe with me, Svana.”
Chapter 15
There was a severe lack of zest in the awful hours of the morning. I woke to a loud humming. It was what I deserved for crawling into bed so late, but everything about being conscious was taxing and cruel.
I’d barely closed my eyes for an hour—two others had been spent critically analyzing the surface of a particular swordsman’s hand beneath my own and his deep, dark, and serious ocean eyes.
Svana,he’d said, like we were old friends. I hadn’t corrected him.
I tried not to think about the rounded a’s of my name that had rolled from his tongue. I tried not to think about how easily he’d led me through the Oreian Waltz. I tried not to imagine how kind he’d been with me about the Prince and his affair. Then, I tried not to think about the Prince.
I knew I had to face him at some point, but I was stuck. I had to decide whether or not confessing his infidelity to Ser Elías was worth it— whether packing my things could be done without signaling distress to our nations. It was agonizing, but the truth would birth a deliberate slight against Father’s need to solidifypeace with Chalke, seeing as his favorite knight would most certainlystabthe empire’s Crowned Prince.
My head hurt thinking about it. Everything hurt. Even my feet were sore.
The humming arrived closer to my bed. It was Miss Josie. She opened the long velvet curtains and invited the sun to blind me.
“You’re too chipper,” I muttered, shielding my face.
She moved with a melody that only made sense if she were mad. It had no real rhythm, but she spun, beaming happily.
“Time to rise, Miss Svana!” she called.
Josiekepthumming as she drew me out of the blankets and collected them for the wash.
“His Royal Highness has requested you to break your fast with him,” she said. “On thebalcony,no less.Soromantic.”
“Is it?” I asked. “Who eats on a balcony? Birds?”
“Don’t you like birds?” she asked.
“Oh, what do you know?” I argued.
“You don’t find it quaint?”
“No,” I said.
“A shame.” She placed the bedding by the door and headed to the vanity to wait for me. “Come now, don’t move too slowly. We’d hate for His Highness to think your tardiness was a distaste for the effort.”
“Speak for yourself,” I said.
“Come again, miss?” she asked.
I sat in front of her and pretended I hadn’t made the comment.
“Are you…?” Miss Josie whispered,“Did something happen with His Highness, miss?”She stooped like a wounded animal. “I thought we liked the Prince?”
“No,” I countered, but then I was embarrassed. “I meant, no, of course, nothing happened. I’m fine. Just…I’m not a morningperson, as you said.” I didn’t know why I lied to her beyond a battered pride.
“Oh,” she said.
Josie regained her momentum. She did my hair and, after browsing through the closet, produced the pale yellow skirt I liked.
